


A Lore Olympus Carol

by daalex



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Alone on Christmas, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Christmas, Disappointment, Disturbing Themes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Family Issues, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Mistreatment, Neglect, One Shot, Rejection, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:40:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21944488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daalex/pseuds/daalex
Summary: Christougena is here, and the fearsome King of the Underworld and God of Wealth wants absolutely no part of it.  The cheery dispositions of his staff are unnerving, and he doesn't understand why everyone is treating the day as if it's special.  Celebrations are a waste of time.  Wealth and efficiency are not obtained with silly celebrations to distract from work tasks.As a result of his selfish ways,  a disgruntled Hecate visits Hades late at night, forewarning him of three goddesses that will soon visit.  What makes matters worse is that she informs him that he deserves everything he is due to receive.Sit back and embark upon a fanfiction inspired by A Christmas Carol, set to the theme of our favorite Greek Myth retelling.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 59





	A Lore Olympus Carol

**Author's Note:**

> i threw a graphic warning up there because honestly, there's a few things in here you may not be ready for. read the tags. please.  
> but i'll be here to hold your hand the entire way. 
> 
> Lore Olympus belongs to Rachel Smythe.

It was a cold day in the Underworld, approaching the Christougena holiday. Hades sat in his office, just a little before closing time. He thumbed through the latest shade efficiency report, presented to him by a very weary, somber looking goddess of necromancy. Sitting behind his slate topped desk, he turned page after page, frustrated with the results. The dim light in his office made his platinum and diamond cufflinks twinkle like stars at the edges of his black suit jacket, even in the low lighting. A freshly pressed blue silk tie with an accompanying handkerchief complimented his hand-woven suit. The smoke from his cigar trailed languidly from its tuck, snaking upward through the air to settle in a small cloud that hovered above his head as if it were a dark omen. Perhaps it was the very essence of darkness that resided within the king’s heart, seeping outward as warning for all who dared to approach him.   
  
Hecate sat opposite of him, approximately ten feet away, in a lavish black velvet chair that was somewhat relief for her aching back. She sat up straight to provide her superior the impression that she was engrossed in his review, but the pain that shot through her body was beginning to betray her. There was nothing more she wanted than to sink deeply in the chair, enjoy the plush cushioning and relax. However, the king frowned on relaxation of any means. Death is ever constant and the shades must be accounted for, reallocated to the workforce, continuing to aid Underworld Corp as the most profitable agency in all three realms, affirming the social status of the affluent, yet desolate, God of Wealth.  
  
“This is the second week in a row that Thanatos has fallen behind Hermes’ performance,” Hades snarled. “Has he given you any justification for his failures?”   
“No, Your Majesty,” Hecate stated weakly.  
“And what about Persephone? She typically has 100% accuracy, but there were two discrepancies with her coordinates this month.”  
“They were errors of her own admission. She had mistaken one scroll for the other, and upon discovery rectified the matter immediately.”  
“Well at least someone out here is _trying_ to be efficient, even if she failed this time.” Hades flicked the ash off of his cigar, a snarl curling upon his lips while he continued to flip through the report.  
  
Hecate sighed, lacing her fingers together as her hands sat demurely in her lap. _The nerve he has to sit there and still chastise me after everything I’ve done,_ she thought to herself.   
  
“Is there a problem, Hecate?” Hades dangerously.  
“No, sire.” Hecate stiffened, despite the pain in her back.  
“Are you sure?” His tone was silky menace.  
“It’s just that, we all work very hard. We’re trying our best. Hades, I have worked for you, loyally, for over a millennium, with unwavering devotion. But I… am… tired.”  
  
Her back was on fire with pain from sitting, hunched at her desk all day every day leading up to that point. _Would he just listen? I don’t think I can take anymore.  
_“Then perhaps you should take up an earlier bedtime, Hecate.”  
  
She took in a sharp breath, pressing her lips together in a thin line, attempting to mask her frustration at his snide remark, swallowing the venom that hung on the tip of her tongue, ready to snap back at Hades. He glanced up at her with a glimmer of red in his eyes, scowling, then went back to the pages of the shade efficiency report.   
  
“Please see to it that Thanatos is held accountable for his shortcomings,” Hades ordered, taking another drag of his cigar with a sinister smile. “I’ll need an updated report in the morning that reflects the latest findings for the influx of shades coming into the entry level training division.”  
“But that will… that will take all night?!” Hecate sat up incredulously, clutching the arms of the chair with frustration.  
“That will be all for now, Hecate,” he said dismissively.   
Without a word, Hecate rose and exited his office. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes as they began to glow yellow, and her heels clacked across the wooden floor, each step echoing with scorned fury. There was not much more of his crass behavior that she could tolerate.  
  
Hades closed the efficiency report, placing a cigar in the nearby ashtray. He left his office, heading down the hall to the breakroom. As he entered, he was startled by Persephone’s pretty pink form in the doorway, as she was pushing on the door to exit. Surprised, she stumbled and wound up falling in Hades’ arms.   
  
“Oh no, Your Majesty, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed.  
Hades caught her, as there was no other alternative with zero space between them in the entryway. She blushed deeply as she looked at him, peering down at her. A brief hint of scarlet flashed in his eyes, followed by his own cerulean blush. She was wearing a burgundy dress that came to her knees with three-quarter length sleeves and a scalloped neckline and black wedge heels. Hades was lost in thought for a brief moment, holding her and peering into her eyes. Persephone giggled, which snapped him out of the temporary trance. Pulling her back upwards, he cleared his throat and proceeded to walk past her deeper into the sophisticated breakroom. Automated coffee dispensers, cappuccino machines, and vending machines lined the walls, opposite of small clusters of chairs and tables. Hades resisted the urge to look at Persephone, willing himself to deny her beauty. He refused to let himself be smitten by her, no matter how breathtaking she was.  
  
“You need to be more careful, Ms. Kore,” he commanded. Persephone was beaming, smiling in the presence of the king.  
“I will, sir. I’m glad I got to see you today.”  
“Why? There isn’t anything special about today, Persephone.” Hades went to the vending machine to obtain a beverage.  
“Christougena is just in two days. I was hoping I would be able to see you before the holiday.”  
“Holiday?” He scoffed. “Preposterous.”  
Persephone placed a hand to her chest in shock. She looked at Hades with a confused expression, before continuing to speak.  
“Do you have any plans?” she asked sweetly. Tiny blue forget-me-nots bloomed in her hair.  
  
Hades paused.  
  
“Celebrations are a waste of time,” he muttered. His drink clanked down the chute and into the access bay. Retrieving it, he pulled the tab and chugged the entire drink before casting the can aside.  
“Maybe you just haven’t celebrated in the right way?”  
“It’s sanctimonious. Humbug. You should be more concerned with ensuring 100% accuracy with your coordinates.”  
  
At that moment, Hades’ cell phone rang.   
  
Persephone raised an eyebrow at his scathing remark, and her smile disappeared. She left the breakroom quietly.   
  
Digging into his pants pocket, he yanked the phone out and raised it to his ear in an exasperated motion.  
“Salutations, you’ve got Hades.”  
  
“Haiiii, Uncle Hades!” a cheerful child exclaimed.  
“Hebe? What do you need? I’m at work.”  
“How are you, Uncle Hades?” she sang in a sing song voice.  
“I’m fine, Hebe, what do you want?” he groaned, holding his forehead in his hand.  
  
There was incoherent yelling in the background. From what Hades could discern, it seemed to be Hera and Zeus arguing.  
  
“Uncle Hades, I wanted to know if I could come see you for Christougena, in the Underworld! I’ve never been to the Underworld before.”  
  
Hades held the phone away from his ear, looking at it with disgust after hearing such a ridiculous suggestion.   
“Absolutely _not_ , young lady. I have too much work to do to worry myself with frivolous celebrations.”  
  
His niece was silent.  
  
“Is there anything else that you need, Hebe?”  
There was a small whimper in her voice as she spoke.  
“No thank you, Uncle Hades... You never say yes anyways, but… I just wanted to ask.”  
“Glad that we had this discussion then. Goodbye, Hebe.”  
  
Without waiting for her response, he pressed the end button on his phone, stuffing it back into his pocket. As he walked down the hallway, Hades noticed the faint smell of fresh flowers wafting from his office. Barging into his space, he saw that there was a large black vase of blue forget-me-nots on the corner of his desk, and a small blue gift box in the middle, beautifully tied with black ribbon. Curious, he sat down to inspect the item. No one gave him gifts. Ever.   
  
Pulling the ends of the ribbon in opposite directions, he untied the intricate bow and removed the wrapping paper. Lifting the lid, he peered inside to see a simple fuchsia scarf that was folded neatly beneath a note card. He picked up the card to read the note scribed on it.  
  


_“You don’t always have to be so cold to everyone.  
Perhaps this can help to warm you up._

_Kala Christougena!_

_Love, Persephone._

“Hmph,” he sneered to himself. “All of this cheeriness is not conducive for workplace efficiency.”  
  
Hades entertained the idea of discarding the items in the waste basket nearby but decided against it. The flowers brought a refreshing smell, but the sentiment behind them made him a little uncomfortable. He settled for placing the vase on the floor beneath his desk; no one would dare know that he liked the floral scent. Even a small portion. Donning his trench coat, he tucked the scarf in his coat pocket and departed for the evening.  
  


* * *

  
  
“Cerberus!” Hades called, as he entered the kitchen.  
Cerberus came galloping into the foyer, happy to see his master. Hades poured kibbles of dog food into a bowl for the hell hound who then chomped them happily.  
“Today was utter annoyance, my friend. Everyone was so…. Unnerving. All in excitement for some random holiday.”  
Cerberus gave a deep woof of disdain. Hades removed a frozen entree from the freezer, placing it in the microwave to be warmed.   
“Don’t talk to me like that,” Hades complained, watching the turntable spin. “Hecate had the audacity to tell me that she’s tired. And Persephone? She…. She gave me a present! Then Hebe called and wanted me to bring her here for this…. holiday? This Christougena thing is ridiculousness. I have an entire kingdom to run. Wealth and efficiency are not obtained with silly celebrations to distract from work tasks.”  
Cerberus snuffed.  
“I like working!” Hades argued. “What’s wrong with that? I’m King here. I didn’t achieve that by faffing about with holidays!”  
  
Cerberus ignored him and continued eating. Hades rolled his eyes at his companion. A dog is told to be man’s best friend, and Hades often felt that Cerberus was the only one that could truly understand him. Yet even now, the mighty beast seemed to be unimpressed with Hades negative outlook.   
  
Dismissing it, Hades finished his dinner in silence. The events of the day were cumbersome, and he was exhausted. He took it upon himself to go to bed early for once, hoping that the earlier bedtime would help him to rest, so that he could have more energy to plod through the next day. Christougena Eve. He despised the holidays and took every opportunity to avoid them when possible. The events that transpired today were no different. Hebe’s request to visit was unwarranted, no matter how many times she asked. Persephone’s providing him a gift was unjustified. No one gave him gifts. He thought of Hecate and how she had the unadulterated gall to claim that she was tired, when she was one of the hardest workers that the company had. Hades felt that if he could work, without growing weary, then his second in command could surely do so as well.   
  
It was sometime after eleven o’clock that a loud, thundering rumble woke him up. He sat up disoriented and rubbed his eyes to see a turquoise and gold ethereal figure glowing at the edge of his king-sized bed. It appeared to be Hecate, with a black spaghetti strapped sparkling gown billowing in an invisible wind. Her skin was radiant. Her eyes were bright, a luminous golden haze. Turquoise and black crackling power hovered around her figure as she floated in the air.  
  
“Hecate?!” he bellowed. “How dare you invade my home! What is the matter with you?”  
  
He threw the two thousand thread count sheets and blankets off of him and then stood up, eyes glowing a furious flaming red. He tugged plaid navy-blue pajama pants over his boxers.   
  
“This is your ONLY warning,” Hecate hissed. She pointed a jagged, clawed finger at him. “Tonight, you will be visited by three goddesses, that represent the past, present, and what is yet to be.”  
Hades raised his hands, shaking both them and his head in frustration. “What are you talking about? This is uncalled for and extremely out of line. You need to get out of my home… _now.”  
  
_Hecate smiled a knowing, but sinister grin.  
“Take heed of what you are due to see, Aidoneus. May Gaia have mercy on your cruel, cruel soul…”  
“That’s enough!” Hades yelled, exasperatedly throwing his arm to the side. As his hand dropped, his bident appeared immediately, and he clasped it, bringing it forward, pointing at Hecate.  
“You deserve every single bit of what is coming to you, Aidoneus,” she taunted. She was completely unphased by the crackling power of the bident looming in her direction. The two exchanged a long, menacing glare, before Hecate gave an evil smirk.   
  
With that, she vanished without a trace.   
  
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Hades yelled. He jumped back onto the top of his bed, wielding the bident, and using the glow from its power to illuminate the room. He poked at several empty spaces and shadows at first, still furious. There was nothing there.  
Frustrated, he stepped to the foot of his bed, clutching his bident that hummed with power in his grasp. With another flair of his free hand, he silently commanded the overhead lights to turn on, dispelling any darkness that could hide an intruder. Walking all around his bedroom, it seemed that no one else was there. His eyes then reverted to their normal blue hue.  
  
Satisfied, he willed his bident back to its idle realm, hoping that he would not need to retrieve it again anytime soon. He then opened his bedroom door to walk down the hallway, to his kitchen for a glass of water.   
  
“I’ll be sure to let her know how frustrated I am in the morning,” he muttered to himself. “This has been the absolute most aggravating evening in all of my years of living.”  
  
He entered the kitchen and headed to the cabinet, pulling out a tall glass tumbler. He placed the edge of the cup under the ice dispenser, letting the cubes tinkle into the glass before moving it to the right for water. Once the cup was filled, he raised it to his lips to take a sip.  
  
“Honestly, what’s really frustrating is how stubborn you are, young Aidon.”  
  
Hades spat his water out. He turned around to see Clotho sitting on the edge of his kitchen island, poised and pristine with her hair pulled back behind a black headband. She had donned a long, flowing peplos that was clasped with a golden brooch at the shoulder.  
  
“Cl- Clotho? How did you get here? Why are so many people invading my home tonight?!”  
  
“You never truly learned, did you, Aidon?” She looked at him, tilting her head with a sad, but fond expression in her eyes.  
“What…. What are you talking about?”  
“There’s nothing wrong with being alone,” Clotho said. “But there is joy to be found in spending time with others.”  
“What…. What others are you …. Wait, why are you here?”  
“You should dry the water that spilled, before we leave.”  
Bemused, Hades retrieved a kitchen towel and dabbed at the water droplets that were on his chest, the counter and tile. Clotho hopped off of the counter and left the kitchen. Her steps were silent; she seemed to glide across the tile floor.  
  
“Wait, where are you going?” Hades was visibly frazzled, frustrated and confused. He had been woken from his sleep by his second in command, and now one of the three moirai appears in his kitchen speaking in riddles. This wasn’t good.  
“Why are you here? Did…. Did you know that Hecate was just here?”  
  
When there was no answer, Hades followed Clotho with a grumble. He left the kitchen and turned left to see where she went. To his complete shock and dismay, he was no longer in his home. The sun was shining. There were birds chirping, and the sky was a vibrant blue. The ocean waves crashed upon the shore, and there was a fresh smell of sea salt in the air. There were rolling hills along the countryside, and trees nestled in between. Hades then slowed his stride, taking in the environment around him. He stopped completely as he found that he was going to step on a small patch of flowers. Pomelia. He knelt down and plucked one, bringing it close to his face to examine. The delicate bloom nodded in his hand, fragile petals shaded with pink and yellow.  
He then looked for Clotho but could not see her.  
“Clotho!” he yelled. “Where are you? How dare you transport me and not tell me where we…. My gods…. Am I… am I _home?_ Are we in Sicily?”  
  
For the first time in years, Hades smiled. He inhaled, taking in the brisk smell of sea-salt, nature and the warm air. His breath was cut short when a thunderous boom caught his attention. There was a second boom, and then a rumbling of crashing sounds.  
  
“You can’t have him!” a voice echoed, strident fear in the tones.  
  
“Mother?” Hades whispered.   
Hades whipped around, to see his mother standing fiercely in front of Kronos, clasping her hands behind her back. Her skin was a deep berry color, and her himation flowed in the wind, casting a shadow behind her, blocking the sunlight in Hades’ line of vision. In her palms that rested at the small of her back, a tiny version of himself peeked out. His hair was tousled, and his eyes were the same berry color of his mother’s beautiful skin. Hades jaw dropped, seeing his younger self.  
The child made eye contact with Hades. He gave a small wave from within the safety of Rhea’s grasp. Hades autonomously waved back, his heart crumbling into tiny pieces at seeing this iteration of himself. A tear dropped on his cheek, watching his mother cower in the fear of his father. It was then that Clotho appeared next to him.  
  
“It is prophesized that the boy will overthrow me, and I cannot allow that to take place,” Kronos commanded. “Give him to me. You have evaded me long enough, woman.” The stars began to rotate and swirl in Kronos’ skin, which was as black as the nighttime sky. His voice was ominous and dreadful. His hair waved wildly as his power began to grow. His eyes were glowing a deadly, bloody red.  
“He’s… he’s my baby. Rhea backed up as far as she could before losing footing. “He has so much life to live, and so much potential. You would deny him the opportunity to even have a chance at something good?”  
Kronos’ voice was cold, final. “If it means that I am no longer in power, then yes. Rhea, give him to me.”  
“This is our first child together, Kronos,” she pleaded. “Is that not worth celebrating? Where is your sense of honor? Where is your nobility at being a father?”  
“Celebrations are a waste of time,” Kronos spat. “Give me the boy… _now_.”  
Rhea’s hands began to tremble. She had evaded this prophecy for as long as she could. Tiny Aidon crawled from within the safety of his mother’s hands. As he made his way outward to grasp at her wrist, he looked at Hades once again, and waved goodbye. Rhea’s shoulders shuddered as she began to weep, bringing her hands forward and offering the little blue godling to his fearsome father.   
  
“NOOOOO!!” Hades screamed. “Mother, no!”   
  
He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, sobbing in agony. It was too much to see the final moments leading up to Kronos’ betrayal. Clotho placed her hand lovingly on his shoulder.   
  
“You still overcame the adversity,” she whispered softly.  
“But it doesn’t make it hurt any less,” he whimpered. The pain was visceral, even with how badly and aggressively he tried to shove it away, as he did every year. A terrible habit. He pulled a hand from his face, to wipe his tears with the back of his wrist. It was then that he noticed, they were no longer in Sicily.   
“Perhaps, you should have brought that towel with you,” Clotho gently encouraged.   
  
Hades stood to his feet, wiping his tears with the back of his wrist and forearm. He slowly turned in a circle, examining the environment around him. The sun was setting, and there were flats of concrete and cement laid about. As he completed his movement, he saw that he was standing at the gates of Tartarus, in the bare foundation of Tower Four.   
  
“We’re …. back in the Underworld,” he surmised.   
“Indeed we are, Young Aidon.”  
“Why we here, Clotho? Wait…. ‘when’ are we?”  
  
“Move out of the way!” a voice commanded. A blue figure shoved past Hades, approaching the gates. His silver hair cascaded down his back. He wore a blue himation over a black chiton, but bandages were wrapped around his forearms and one of his eyes.   
  
“I need the foundation to be thicker!” the figure barked a command.  
“Yes, Your Majesty,” a daemon responded. He solemnly bowed, and then went to continue mixing concrete.   
“Your Majesty, can we take a break?” a younger satyr asked.  
“Absolutely not!” the commanding voice scathed. “If _I_ am working hard, then _you_ need to be working hard. Do you want to be cast into those gates alongside my father?!”  
The satyr knelt down , bowing his head in respect. “No sir! Please forgive my insolence!”  
Then keep working.”  
  
Hades’ jaw dropped as he saw yet another version of himself. This version was much younger, a newly crowned king of the Underworld, full of vigor and arrogance. The time was shortly after the escape from Kronos’ stomach, and his subsequent defeat after the Titanomachy. Hades remembered that despite his wounds, he had a job to do, and was eager to get to it. The doors of Tartarus rattled slightly as Kronos struggled below the surface, presumably thrashing about in the chains that bound him. The young adult version of Hades stood at the entrance and extended his hands. His eyes began to glow white as wafts of power swirled around his fingers and soon, his bident appeared. Hades watched as his younger self caught the bident and, holding it in the air, gave a primal yell, stabbing both bladed ends of his bident into the foundation. The clouds above him swirled in a cyclone, and the sky changed into a hazy red. Power reverberated beneath everyone’s feet. Soon, the doors of Tartarus were covered in black shapes, sigils and flames, as Hades held fast to his bident, summoning enchanted bricks to be laid upon the foundation. One by one, they set themselves in place as if they were blocks, slowly building up another barrier that was attached to doors. His hair flowed as his power did, until he finally collapsed from exhaustion.  
  
“Your Majesty!” the construction workers called. Many abandoned their duties to run to the aid of the young king, who was doubled over with fatigue.   
  
Hades looked on to see this younger version of himself, working so feverishly hard to place distance between he and Tartarus. His scars seemed to burn, as he inadvertently grabbed his arm, recalling the rigorous need to seal his tyrant father away, preventing him from harming anyone ever again. He watched the workers clamor over their king. He never really realized how many individuals genuinely cared for his well-being. However, the younger king barked at everyone that stood around him.  
  
“Get back to work, now!” His breath was ragged, and his face covered in sweat.  
“Your Majesty,” another work meekly spoke. “You’ve exhausted yourself. Please, take a moment to rest!”  
“I don’t care,” Hades commanded. “There is no time for exhaustion when there is work to be done. Understand, this is a direct order, and this is the last time I will give this order. Get. Back. To. Work. Or so help me, I will cast every single one of you behind these gates and finish this incantation by my damn self.”  
  
“I … Have I always been this… cruel?” Hades said to himself. He watched the coworkers back away from the young king and reluctantly resume their duties, while the younger god struggled to his feet.  
“Well, it seemed that you had little trust in others, based upon your solitary confinement within the depths of Kronos,” Clotho responded.   
His face fell, as he looked at the ground with remorse.   
“I … I remember this though. I needed to finish building Tower Four. Because I couldn’t allow that monster to ever have the opportunity to break free. He would never be able to hurt me again.”  
“Funny how you were so desperate to put up a barrier, as to not let the Titan outside. And yet, you still have barriers built around the most vulnerable pieces of yourself, Young Aidon.”  
Hades rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his hair with agitation. He was not accustomed to feeling guilty, remorseful, or anything that was less than that of what he perceived to be strong.  
“You fates always speak in the strangest of riddles.”  
“Your heart was hardened from an early age. It is very unfortunate, but there is still hope.”  
  
Hades turned to the teal colored goddess.   
  
“Hope?”  
“Yes, young one.”  
“But…”  
“No buts, Young Aidon. It’s time to go back to sleep. This is but the first journey that you are due to embark upon.”  
Hades looked up from the ground, with panic in his eyes. He reached for Clotho’s hand and clasped it, hoping that she would stay.  
“Wait, Clotho! I don’t understand!”  
“You will. Sweet dreams, Aidoneus.”  
  
Clotho raised her hand and gently stroked Hades cheek. Immediately, his eyes closed.   
  
Groggily, he opened his eyes. Hades sat up and found that he was asleep on his couch. The cup of water he went to retrieve from the kitchen earlier was next to him on a nearby table. The towel that he dried himself off with was sprawled over his chest. He rubbed his eyes and winced in pain, noting that they were puffy from crying. Was he crying in his sleep? He recalled what he had seen before, in the company of Clotho, and wondered if it was real. Did he really see his childhood self being handed over to Kronos? Did he really witness his young adult self, building the foundation and seals to Tartarus? He rested his head on a nearby couch cushion, closing his eyes once again.  
  
“Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to bed so early,” Hades stated to himself.   
  
**_“WAKE YO PUNK ASS UP, YOUNG BLOOD!”  
_**  
Hades jumped, startled by the shrill voice that hollered at him. Scanning the room, he looked to his left and saw no one. He looked to the right, towards the kitchen, and again there was no one nearby. Reaching for the water again, he paused before taking a sip, anticipating being startled again. He was able to drink most of the cup before setting it down. As he replaced the cup on the coffee table, Hades glanced to his left and found Lachesis sitting next to him, appearing from nowhere.   
  
“Oh, thank Gods I didn’t choke on water this time,” he started.  
“What’s good, son of Kronos? You a’ight?”  
“Yes…. Lachesis… how… how are you?” he asked cautiously.  
“Chillin, chillin. Nah but for real tho, we gotta take a trip.”  
“I swear I just…. Got… back—wait. Why are _you_ here?”  
“The life that you have set before you are a gift… That’s why it’s called, the present.”  
  
Hades scowled at her remark. Lachesis giggled to herself.   
“She said three goddesses would come to visit me… Clotho took me to see myself in the past… so you… you must be here to show me something transpiring in the current times.”  
“You’re not as dense as you seem, young blood!” She chuckled and pushed her glasses further up her nose. Lachesis appeared before him as she typically would. Her teal colored hair was wavy and pulled into a messy ponytail, secured with a pink scrunchie. A pair of large, sound resistant headphones hung around her neck. She wore a large, pink and turquoise windbreaker coat, skinny jeans, with black and pink sneakers that were kicked up on the coffee table.   
  
Hades stood up from his position on the couch and turned to the Fate.  
“So where are we going?”  
“You tell me, fam. You’re the god of wealth, aren’t you?”  
“I am?”  
“Then let’s get this bread…”  
  
Before Hades realized it, they were sitting in Hecate’s office. Lachesis was seated in a small chair to the left of Hecate’s desk. She still had her feet kicked up on a nearby table, scrolling through her phone to find music to listen to. Hecate was fast asleep; her computer monitor was still powered on. Hades quietly walked closer to her. She was breathing softly, her head resting on top of one arm. Papers lay scattered all over the desk. A pen, held loose in her hand as if she had fallen asleep mid-word, leaked a steady stream of ink onto the paper. He peeked at what she was writing and was surprised to see that it was the updated report he demanded from her. Glancing at her desk clock, he could see that it was 12:30 a.m. on December 24th. Christougena Eve.  
  
“She’s…. she’s still here?” Hades calmly asked, taking the pen out of her hand and replacing the cap.  
  
Lachesis looked up from her phone, cocking her head to the side.  
“Looks like she is, fam,” she said sarcastically.  
“That’s uncalled for; even I don’t stay past 10:00 p.m. on a work night.”  
“I mean… I see you, dude… but isn’t your rule that if _you’re_ working hard, your team should be working hard?”  
Hades began to organize the papers that were scattered, being sure to not wake Hecate. Stacking them in a pile, he looked up at Lachesis with indignance.  
“Hold on—she didn’t seem all that weary when she scared the hell out of me a few hours ago!”  
“Don’t shoot the messenger, fam. She was chosen to deliver information. Not to mention, I _could_ go into the fact that you had the audacity to brandish your weapon against her.”  
Hades felt uncomfortable shame and chagrin at himself curl through his chest. It was hardly Hecate’s fault if she’d been a puppet of the Fates. No more than this time hopping was his fault now.  
“I can admit that I now realize my error. There was no reason for me to pull the bident on her. It shouldn’t surprise me that you would rope someone else in for your cryptic shenanigans.”  
Hades picked up the last page of the report, which was nearly complete. He inhaled slowly, feeling ashamed that he had put his most loyal employee through such turmoil.  
“I didn’t realize she was being earnest when she stated that the report would take all night… I never knew that Hecate was really this exhausted.”  
“Of course she is, young blood. When is the last time that you gave her a day off?”  
  
Hades was silent. He never granted time off requests.   
“Well, she hasn’t exactly asked.”  
“Should she need to?” Lachesis asked softly, “Or, is she afraid to? Because if she did ask you, even for the smallest thing, you’d deny it. And you know that.”  
  
Lachesis was right. His first inclination would be to refuse such a request. But after seeing her in such a pitiful state, perhaps it wouldn’t be the end of the realms to grant her one day away from the building.  
  
Lachesis stood up and strolled towards the office door.  
“Come on, my dude. We got more shit to do.”  
  
Hades placed the last page of the report on the neat pile that he had created, at the corner of Hecate’s desk. He rolled his eyes at hearing that they were traveling, again, after traveling. “Where are we going?”  
“I told you. Let’s get this bread.”  
“I have… no idea what that means.”  
  
Lachesis stopped and turned in his direction.  
“You don’t… you’re the god of wealth and you don’t know what it means to get money?”  
“Is that what you mean by bread? Bread is food.”  
“I take back what I said about you being dense.”  
  
Lachesis exited the door, and Hades jogged behind her to catch up. He was bewildered when he saw that the entryway lead into Persephone’s office. It smelled of lilacs, roses and jasmine. She was sitting cross legged on the floor, fiddling with a small box, and the hem of her burgundy dress had ridden up some. Hades tried to avert his eyes from the exposed flesh of her thighs.   
  
“Ahhhh, lookie there,” Lachesis teased. “Young Aidon has a crush.”  
“That is absolutely false!” Hades argued. He peeked again at the dimples in the ample curves of her thighs, then looked in the opposite direction.  
“Sure, fam. But she does have some feelings towards you, for some unknown reason. You’re so damn mean to her every chance you get and yet she still persists.”  
  
Hades focused on the box within her hands. It was the same gift box that held the scarf she had given. Next, he looked towards her desk, that was littered with note cards which were crumpled up into paper balls or torn in half entirely. It seemed that she was struggling with what to write on the note card to accompany his gift. He looked at some of the previous drafts.

_“Dear Aidoneus—I think you would look especially handsome with this scarf…”_

_“Oh Hades, how I hope that you’ll enjoy this gift. It means a lot to me, just like you…”_

_“Maybe one day, we can get to know one another better?”_

_“One day I hope that you’ll see me such as I see you… Until then, enjoy this token of my appreciation for the fearsome king that you are.”_

_“You don’t have to be so cold to everyone… Perhaps this will help you to warm up.”_

  
Holding the cards tenderly in his hands, a single tear escaped from Hades’ eyes.

“She has… feelings for me?” he choked, holding back another sob.

“Duh.”  
“I never thought that a goddess like her would be even remotely interested in an old bastard like me.”  
“Yea I don’t understand it either,” Lachesis agreed. “I mean you’re not too bad on the eyes, but I swear to Gaia, you are as stubborn as your damn daddy. I’m not sure what else she sees. Clearly there’s something there that she does see. She has to see something in you that no one else does.”  
“I couldn’t imagine what else there is…” Hades placed his hands in his pockets, questioning if Persephone’s feelings were warranted.  
“Might be potential, might not.” Lachesis shrugged. “There is somebody else that makes an effort to try and see the good in everyone, no matter what.”  
“Who?”  
  
Lachesis snapped her fingers. Without delay, the room changed again. Hades looked around to see that he was in … Zeus’ home?  
  
“I’m so sick of you entertaining these two-bit tramps!” Hera screamed.  
“I haven’t slept with anyone else in weeks, Hera!” Zeus yelled back.  
  
Hera took a drag from her cigarette, standing defensively in front of Zeus, near their fireplace within their living room. Pictures were thrown on the ground, with broken glass littering the space around them.   
  
“But you damn sure aren’t spending any time at home either!”  
“Could you blame me! You’re fuckin miserable, all you do is drag me down!”  
“Then give me something that’s positive, you bastard! I’m so sick of your shit!! You’re so selfish; you don’t support me; you don’t support our family.”  
  
Hades and Lachesis looked on from the doorway of the living room.  
“I provide a safe and secure home for you! How is that not supportive?!”  
“I could do better by my damn self!”  
“You are bound to me for eternity, whether you like it or not,” he bellowed, with thunder rumbling in the background.   
  
To the left of them, Hebe frolicked through the hall. She had a box of crayons in her hand and hummed to herself. Stopping in the kitchen, she picked up the cordless phone. She then walked over to the fridge, and stood on her tip toes, peeking at a number that was scrawled on a note beneath a magnet. Dialing the number, she sat at the kitchen table and began to color.   
  
“Salutations, you’ve got Hades.” Hades couldn’t hear his voice on the other end, but he cringed recalling the disrespectful conversation with his niece.  
  
“Haiiii Uncle Hades!” Hebe exclaimed. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled, giddy that he had answered the phone.   
“Hebe? What do you need? I’m at work.”  
“How are you Uncle Hades?” she sang to him.  
“I’m fine, Hebe, what do you want?”  
  
Hebe continued coloring, nestling the phone in between her ear and shoulder as she drew. She casually kicked her legs back and forth beneath the length of her pastel green dress. Her hair was pulled back into a bow. She scribbled a little bit and then paused, taking a deep breath.  
  
“Uncle Hades, I wanted to know if I could come see you for Christougena, in the Underworld! I’ve never been to the Underworld before.”  
“Absolutely _not_ , young lady. I have too much work to do to worry myself with frivolous celebrations.”  
  
Hebe was silent. Hades’ heart broke as he saw the tears fill her eyes. He wiped away a few of his own tears, ashamed of how brash he was to the young goddess. Watching her color with such a melancholy expression was tearing him apart.  
  
“Is there anything else that you need, Hebe?”  
  
Her lip quivered, and a few tears dropped onto the precious, cherished drawing below her. She quickly wiped them with the edge of her dress and took another breath.   
“No, thank you, Uncle Hades... You never say yes anyways, but… I just wanted to ask.”  
  
Her voice was small, but firm. Hearing it now, Hades realized she didn’t want to reveal how vastly disappointed and saddened she was.  
“Glad that we had this discussion then. Goodbye, Hebe.”  
  
Hades placed a hand over his mouth, choking back tears. He had rejected his niece, one of the few beings to accept him with no questions and here he was watching it, powerless to soothe the tears from her face.. He didn’t speak.   
  
“Ares has been away at war for many months now,” Lachesis sighed as they watched Hebe half-heartedly color, Zeus and Hera fighting in the background. “With the toxic environment that her parents create, Hebe doesn’t have anyone else to turn to.”  
  
Hades wiped his tears, trying to force words past his closed throat.   
“I… I didn’t know,” he whispered.  
“Course you didn’t. Gotta get that schmoney; am I right?”  
  
Hades looked confused.  
  
“I swear you’ll never be down, man. For being a young blood, you sure are an old man.”  
“I… I’m sorry, Lachesis but your vernacular is something I simply am not familiar with.”  
  
She sighed.  
“Then let me put it in terms that you’ll understand. You didn’t realize the turmoil that your niece endured. You didn’t take into consideration how overworked your staff is. You refute genuine kindness from the spring goddess because you feel, and I quote: ‘wealth and efficiency are not obtained with silly celebrations to distract from work tasks.’”  
Hades began to fret. Everything he thought he knew is turning out to hurt those he should love.  
“But… I’m the god of wealth… should I—”  
“You may have monetary riches, but there is other wealth to be discovered, my dude.”  
  
Lachesis took her headphones off of her neck, and placed them on top of her head, covering her ears.  
“Get yo bread, fam. Get what’s valuable.”  
  
Rap music blared from all around. As Lachesis nodded her head to the funky beat, she began to disappear.  
Panicking, Hades blurted, “Wait! Lachesis, can I fix this? Is it too late?” The Fate paid no attention.  
  
The music was so overpowering, Hades covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. It hurt to listen. The bass thrum seemed to pulse through his very bones.  
The next thing he knew, he rolled over in bed, covering his head with a pillow, trying to shut out the reverberation of the noise, now thankfully silent.  
  
He sat up, groaning in agitation. Looking around, he saw that he was back in his bedroom.  
  
“Thank Gaia,” he muttered, laying back down. “This has to be nothing more than just a bad dream; it just has to be.”  
Somehow, in his heart, he knew this was a lie. Hades just couldn’t quite convince himself that it was a dream, with everything that he had endured.   
He rolled over and looked at his clock. It was 2:15 a.m. Sighing deeply, he fluffed his pillow and pulled the covers up to his shoulders, snuggling deeper.   
  
“Bad dreams are ghosts of our fears and worries,” a cold voice spoke.  
“No!” he groaned. “I’m done with dreams. I just want to sleep!”  
  
“There is no rest for the wicked, Aidoneus. Not even the shades of the damned.”  
  
He buried his head underneath the pillow once again. “It would hardly be a fitting punishment if they could rest,” he muffled from beneath the fluffy cushion. “I take pride in giving out fair judgements, even the damnations.”  
“You take as much satisfaction in all your judgements. Is that because you control the shades?”  
“Absolutely, yes. Every dead soul has to answer to me, no matter what.”  
“Why do you seek to control the spirits of the deceased?” The soft voice seemed to coil through the dark room. “Should they not find peace in their afterlife? Were their mortal lives not fulfilling enough?”  
  
Exasperated, Hades threw the pillow off of his head. Lying on his back, he found that he was no longer in bed. He was laying on the ground, and his back hurt from the scattered pieces of rock that were underneath. Looking up, the sky was a bloody red with black clouds... Wait, no, that was smoke. He could smell the scent of rotting flesh mixed with smoke; heavy and thick, singed his nostrils as he inhaled. Climbing to his feet, he surveyed the scene before him. Various souls, spirits and shades, were fighting one another on a battlefield. There were broken pieces of glass, crumbled fixtures, and the remains of building rubble all around them. Fires burned here and there, putting out the choking smoke. Some cars remained, though damaged and inoperable, with broken windows. The buildings that still stood were vandalized; doors kicked in and merchandise or belongings looted. Yet there weren’t many buildings left. The bodies of various satyrs, daemon and nymphs lay to the sides of the streets; dead, as souls ran amuck or arming their selves for battle. He looked to his left and saw that he was in somewhere in the Underworld. He looked to his right, and saw the third goddess of the evening, Atropos. Like her sisters, she had skin that was turquoise. Her long, teal colored wavy hair blew in the wind, along with her cream colored peplos. Her yellow eyes were fixed on the carnage of the battle that surrounded them.  
  
“What is happening?” Hades asked. He was almost afraid to find out, seeing the destruction before him. His heart ached, and he felt absolutely overwhelmed.  
“Your greed for riches and unnecessary need for controlling spirits proved to become your downfall, son of Kronos.”  
  
A crash near them caused Hades to jump. One shade fought with another, struggling with a spear. The victor was able to stab the other, until a walking corpse bearing a green flamed torch incinerated both of them.  
Hades stared. “Is that a dead mortal? Still in the flesh?”  
“Aye, it is,” Atropos affirmed.  
“But this is the underworld; no living mortal can survive here. He should be dead.”  
“He would be, but the son of Morpheus has been captured, and can no longer collect souls from their rotting corpses.”  
“The son of…. Thanatos?! Oh Gods, what happened?”  
  
Another zombie corpse ran by, dodging blows from his opponent. Nearby, an explosion rattled the ground beneath them, followed by loud, thunderous booming steps.  
  
“He pledged his loyalty to you,” Atropos responded.  
“That doesn’t explain what happened!” Hades exclaimed incredulously, frustration growing.   
“He is now chained and bound in the depths of Tartarus.” Atropos was solemn and stoic. No expression could be read on her face while she relayed such disheartening information to Hades.  
“But how?” Hades was becoming angry at the lack of answers.   
Atropos stood still, eyeing the approaching figure that had blundered towards them. Hades turned and dodged an attack from the zombie, surprised that he had advanced so quickly.

“You have no power here any longer!” the zombie sputtered at him. He took staggering steps towards Hades, brandishing a sword, ready to strike.  
Without hesitation, Hades pressed two fingers to the zombie’s forehead. His eyes glowed white, and black swirls of magic wisped from his fingers. The zombies’ sclera’s went completely black.  
“Δίνω την απελευθέρωση της ψυχής σου,” Hades commanded.   
The zombie’s body then fell to the ground, his corpse disappearing like sand blowing in the wind. His soul remained, white and pure.  
“Your majesty?” the soul questioned.  
“You are free now, spirit. Do as you wish.”  
“It’s…. it’s too late,” the soul responded.  
“What do you mean?”  
“He’s returned,” Atropos stated.  
  
The sound of the thundering, booming steps rumbled through the air. Dread ran down Hades’ spine. His ichor ran icy cold, and his heart began to race. His deepest fear was realized.   
“No,” Hades cried. “ **NO**!”  
  
Hades ran through the mindless souls and half dead corpses, splitting the crowd with a wave of his hand. His bident appeared once again as he sprinted up a hill; his pajamas changing into battle armor as he advanced. Black greaves and a dark blue chiton took the place of his flannel pants. His cape materialized, secured at the shoulders of his breastplate. Wafts of black magic swirled around his forearms as a sword appeared in his free hand, followed by the formation of his gauntlets. Soon, Hades took flight, ascending into the air to get a better view of his worst fears imagined.   
  
The piles of rubble were the remains of Towers One, Two, and Three. The explosion which had leveled them had been Tower Four. Kronos stood outside, in full, fearsome, cosmic glory. He gave a slow-moving punch to a remaining tilted wall of Tower Four, and it immediately crumbled at the impact of his strike. He strode through the throes of the battlefield, scooping down to clasp souls and shades, then drawing them into the air and consuming them.   
  
“You will bow to me!” he roared. “Or I will drink your blood as if it were wine.”  
  
The fighting stopped. Every soul, shade, spirit and corpse bowed in reverent honor, in the presence of the terrible tyrant. Hades could barely remain airborne; he was absolutely terrified, trembling in the sky.  
  
“He can’t!” Hades exclaimed. “I can’t let him hurt my family! I have to protect them!”  
“Your family remains no more, son of Kronos,” Atropos commented softly, as dispassionate as observing the weather.  
  
He screamed, as if he were an animal being mortally wounded. The words shot through his heart with the strength of the sharpest blade forged. His stomach lurched, and he shook his head vigorously in denial. He flailed about, thrashing as he sobbed and screamed in the worst pain he had ever experienced.   
“ _No_!” he screamed, falling from the sky. He landed on the ground with a thud, no longer able to think clearly enough to remain in flight. His body crumpled into a fetal position as his shoulders heaved up and down, wrought with sorrow. Hades climbed from the ground to meet Atropos, seeking clarity on her haunting statement.  
  
He ran to Atropos, grasping the front of her chiton in desperate hands. “No… Zeus? Poseidon?”  
Atropos removed his hands from her garment. “They have been consumed once again.”  
“Hera? Demeter? Hestia? Amphitrite?” Each name was like the tolling of a funeral bell.  
“Even with their combined powers, they were not strong enough to stand against his might. Once word spread that Kronos was freed by the rebellious souls of the underworld, they came immediately to vanquish him. However, they did not succeed.”  
“Ares?”  
“He held out the longest and fought most fiercely. He died a valiant death, protecting his youngest sister.”  
Somehow this cut the hardest. Knowing he had never apologized… Hades choked out the words. “No… my niece…. She- she’s dead?”  
“Any and all who swore allegiance to the eldest of Kronos’ sons have perished.”  
“Per…. Persephone?”  
“Any, and _all.”  
_“Hecate?”  
“She sacrificed herself in order to preserve the spirit of your hellhound.”  
  
Tears spilled from Hades’ eyes. His shoulders heaved as he sobbed, stabbing his sword into the ground as he dropped to one knee. Loss threatened to shatter him. Nearly every being that mattered to him. Gone without a chance to say goodbye. To make amends… At the hands of his father.  
Rage grew within him, overcoming his weeping. This was not a time for tears. Action was needed from the judge and king. Power reverberated from his stance on the ground. Tiny pebbles of rubble began to levitate, and Hades climbed to his feet once again. As he stood, his skin transformed into a dark blue, cosmic scattering of stars; his godly rage form. His eyes were devoid of color. He spoke with surety.  
  
“If they died because they chose to honor me… then I will honor them and avenge their souls. I can’t live knowing that they paid such a drastic price for someone who was hardly worthy of their love and loyalty.”  
“You will perish, son of Kronos,” Atropos said matter-of-factly.  
“So be it. I would rather die trying to put an end to his chaos, than to let my damn father reign at the demise of everyone I have known and loved.”  
  
Hades put two fingers to his lips and blew a low whistle. In the distance, a small black figure limped towards him, engulfed in black flames. Hades could see that it was Cerberus, or what little was left of him, held together by the remnants of Hecate’s black magic and necromancy. Hades ran towards the great dane, wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him close.  
  
“Good boy,” he cooed in the dog’s ear.  
Cerberus whined, nuzzling his master’s embrace.   
  
Hades stood back to examine his best friend, looking at his various wounds and injuries. A piece of one of his ears was clipped off, and he was covered in gashes that were not bleeding, but had an eerie, sickly green light glowing from within the wounds.  
  
Somehow, seeing what had happened to Cerberus was worse than the pain of knowing his family was gone. At least right now, knowing they were gone was abstract. It hadn’t sunk in. But this… These terrible wounds have been suffered for love of him… He choked out, “Oh my dearest friend. I am so sorry.”  
  
Cerberus gave a whuff and scratched at the ground with broken claws.  
  
Hades found himself laughing a little despite the situation. How like Cerberus to brush off something like this. He smiled, stroking the muscular neck and wondered if he was a little delirious with shock. “Now now, don’t tell me ‘it’s nothing.’ This is not the time nor the place.”  
  
He gave Cerberus a slight scratch behind the ears. Though languidly, his tail wagged; a sign of happiness from the mighty dane.  
Hades hated to ask the dog for anything else, but this was it. He needed all the help he could get, and his loyal hound was all that was left. “Cerberus, I will ask you this. Would you fight at my side, one last time?”  
  
Cerberus barked in agreeance, letting out a low growl.  
  
Tears traced down Hades’ face. “I don’t know if I will come out of this alive… but if I don’t… I promise you; I am forever grateful for your love and loyalty. You truly are my best and dearest friend. Thank you for everything you have ever done, boy.” Cerberus licked his face.  
  
“ ** _Aidoneus_**!” Kronos growled. The titan began to walk towards Hades, each step sounding like frightening thunder.  
  
His heart pounding, Hades looked to Cerberus, “Let’s go tear that son of a bitch up, buddy. Shall we?”  
  
Cerberus barked once again, the noise shifting to a sonorous growl. The black flame that wreathed him, roared to life with vigor and fury. Fire traversed across his scruffy coat of fur, transforming the great dane into his full, thirty-foot-tall, three headed form. The multiple heads breathed smoke from their nostrils, and the low growl turned into a mighty roar from all three mouths, piercing the sky and drawing the attention of every soul on the battlefield. His eyes were a glowing green; the same fluorescent hue that radiated from his various wounds, incanted with black magic and sorcery. Hades pulled his sword from the ground and called forth his bident. He flew up to the nape of Cerberus’ neck. Hades landed gently, and then softly stroked a section of Cerberus’ fur, before giving him two pats. The hellhound launched himself in the air, galloping on the wind to face Kronos directly.  
  
“I never should have let you live,” the tyrant boomed. He spat towards Hades, as Cerberus lifted them high to avoid the acidic toxins that were shot in their direction.  
“Likewise, old man,” Hades sassed. He had both weapons in hand, biding time.  
“You will die, young godling.”  
“Not before I slice off your damn head, for what you did to the people I love.”  
“Your brothers were delicious.. but I’d like to see you try, boy.”  
“I am no longer afraid of you, old man… You will pay for your disrespect.”  
  
Kronos reached his arm back to swing. Cerberus dodged it, leaping to the side on thin air to avoid the strike.  
  
“Sic’ em boy!” Hades yelled. Cerberus howled, and dove directly to the back of Kronos’ neck. With all three heads, he bit his fangs into the cosmic flesh, growling and clawing at the titan’s back. Kronos fell to one knee, letting out a booming howl in pain.  
“Release Cerberus! Release!” Hades called. He flew away from Cerberus, poised and ready to strike at Kronos.  
Cerberus didn’t listen. With the taste of Titan ichor on his fangs, the Guardian continued to maul and bite at the titan, weakening him. One free arm finally caught Cerberus, and Kronos pulled him away from his neck, with golden ichor dripping from his maws.   
  
“Insolent animal!” Kronos sputtered. He raised a hand to strike.  
  
“ _No_!” Hades yelled. He flew with lightning with both his bident and sword in hand, piercing the flesh at the base of Kronos’ neck. Using the momentum from flight, Hades whipped around, the puncture wound circling Kronos’ entire neck, from front to back, hissing with smoke. The wound caused him to release Cerberus.  
  
“Your reign ends now!” Hades commanded. With both his sword and bident on either side of Kronos’ neck, he forced the two inwards, piercing deeper towards his spine in an attempt to decapitate the tyrant.  
  
“Now, Cerberus!” Hades yelled.   
  
Cerberus leapt to attention and jumped onto Kronos’ shoulder. Kronos plucked both Hades and the hell hound off of his flesh, with eyes that glowing red with fiery flames.  
“It’s too late,” he chuckled in a sinister tone. Opening his mouth, a snake like tongue escaped, and Kronos tipped his head back.  
“NO! NO! NOOOOOO!” Hades yelled.  
The darkness overcame him, burning his skin like acid. The last thing he remembered was the memory of his mother’s face, sobbing with sorrow as Kronos’ consumed him. If only he could go back to being as carefree and loving as that sweet child was, before he hurt those he loved.  
  
He sat up in bed, sweating. Hades’ hair was matted to his forehead, and the sheets were soaked with perspiration. His chest was heaving, and his heart was racing, pounding as if it were an offbeat staccato drum. He looked down and saw that his arms were their normal cerulean blue hue. Glancing around, it seemed that he was at home, in bed. The clock read that it was 7:30 a.m.   
“Oh Gods,” he sighed. “Oh… Oh GODS!! It’s… it’s not too late after all!!”  
  
Hades jumped up with renewed energy, dashing to the shower to freshen himself. “It’s not too late!” he sang as he showered.   
  
“It’s not too late!” he sang, while he dressed himself. Opting for a simple button up, silk tie and cotton slacks, he dashed down the hallway to his kitchen. Stopping short in the living room, he saw a cup of water sitting on the coffee table. He stared for a moment. Had it all been a dream? He shook off the disconcerting thought. It didn’t matter. Dream or no, he’d gotten the message. He whistled for Cerberus.  
  
The patter of huge paws sounded, and Cerberus galloped into the room, barking excitedly.  
“Cerberus!” Hades exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around the great dane, clutching him tightly as tears filled his eyes. The memory of his faithful friend’s battered body was strong.  
Cerberus gave a happy whuff, and eagerly lapped at his master’s face. Hades playfully wrestled the beast to the ground, rolling around with him on the kitchen floor.  
“Who’s a good boy!?” he asked, laughing for the sheer joy of being able to play on the floor with his dog.  
Cerberus barked happily, romping and pouncing on Hades.  
“Are you _my_ good boy?!”  
Cerberus barked again and flopped onto the floor next to Hades. Hades scratched him behind the ears, and Cerberus’ tail wagged. As the dog rolled over, Hades gave him belly scratches again, enough so that one of his legs began to tap the ground in appreciation.  
  
“It’s Christougena Eve, my friend,” Hades said softly, “And I believe that I have not celebrated, in the proper way… Go guard the border as usual today, boy, but I will call for you when I need you, okay?”  
Cerberus barked in acknowledgement, and Hades moved to stand. The obsidian dog whined once his owner moved away, but Hades stopped to give him more head scratches before he left. Cerberus’ tongue wagged happily as the two departed Hades’ home; Hades taking to his sedan, and Cerberus leaping to the skies, navigating through the soft precipitation falling from above.  
  
He headed directly to Tower One, driving at lot faster than he should have been with fresh snow on the ground in the underworld. His eagerness to begin setting things right lent urgency to his driving and weight to his foot on the pedal. Snowflakes danced in the air as his sleek black car whizzed down the street. Pulling into the garage of Tower One, he all but ran to his office, giving a chorus of “Good Morning!” and “Kala Christougena!” on his way to the elevator. His staff members stared in confusion, unsure of how to react.   
  
Reaching the office, he sat at his desk, and booted up his computer to send a high importance companywide e-mail.

“To: All Staff Employees

From: Hades Aidoneus, CEO/Chairman/King of the Underworld

Effective immediately:

Underworld Corp is closed for the Christougena holiday. Operations will resume Monday morning. Immediately finalize your work for the day and enjoy festivities with your loved ones as well as the extended break.

Upon your return, I will be visiting every department personally, to obtain feedback on how to streamline processes, reaffirm fair treatment of shades, and seeking improvement in efficiency for soul allocation. 

Best wishes to you all.

Kala Christougena,

\--H.”

“Now, that’s that,” he said, dusting his hands together back and forth. He reached into his desk and pulled out his checkbook and nearby pen. Retrieving his cell phone from his pocket, he placed a phone call.

“Thank you for calling the Underworld’s finest department store, my name is Grace. How can I be of service?”  
  
“Salutations, Grace! This is Hades.” He nestled his phone between his ear and shoulder as he reached underneath his desk to retrieve the vase of flowers Persephone left for him, placing it up top where it should have been all along.  
  
“Your—your—your majesty!”  
“Please, no need to be formal, dearest. Listen, I hate to ask, but I need you to procure the largest, fluffiest stuffed animal or daemon that you can find, and have it gift wrapped as soon as you possibly can. I will be by to retrieve it once I’ve concluded my work duties for the day.”  
“Would one hour be sufficient, your—I mean… Hades?”  
“It most certainly would! Grace, thank you ever so.”  
“You’re welcome, sir!”  
“Kala Christougena! I will see you within the hour.”  
“The same to you, sir!” Happiness was simply bubbling from her voice on the other end of the phone. Hades grinned broadly as he concluded the phone call, being sure to grab his coat and new scarf before leaving.   
  
Sauntering down the hall, he strolled into Hecate’s office. She had a cup of coffee in one hand, and her head resting in the palm of her other, propped up to keep herself sitting upward. It seemed that she was nodding off. Hades knocked on the door loudly, and Hecate perked up immediately   
  
“Sire!” she squeaked as she jumped in surprise, scattering papers from her desk. The bags under her eyes were all the evidence he needed to affirm his mistreatment of his valued employee.  
  
“Hecate… I’m so sorry,” Hades declared with a smile. “You have been an invaluable asset to this company, and you have tolerated much more than was ever truly necessary. Thank you for your work efforts, and even more than that, thank you for your loyalty. I need you to take some time away from the company and rejuvenate yourself, please”  
Her eyes widened with confusion, and she shook her head slightly, in denial of such a grand gesture from the fearsome king. “Hades are…. Are you sure?”  
“Abundantly so… You told me that you were tired. And, another thing; you were right. The moirai came to visit me, and they showed me things… BOY, they did. They showed me what was wrong with my past, my present, and my future…”  
She frowned. “Wait, Hades, what are you talking about?”  
“The fates? Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos? They all came to see me last night, after you warned me.”  
Her frown deepened. “But… I don’t know how I could have warned you… I’ve been here the entire night.”  
“Are you sure?” Hades questioned.  
  
“Yes, you … you asked for me to get the report done, so I had to stay here in order to finish it. You could even check the cameras.”  
“You genuinely were here all night?”  
  
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Hades,” Hecate said meekly.  
  
“That had best not ever happen, again.” Retrieving his checkbook from his coat pocket, he wrote a check out to Hecate for Fifty Thousand Drachma.  
  
Placing it on the edge of her desk, Hades smiled warmly. “Consider this a Christougena bonus. And when you return from vacation, we will talk about the allocation of your duties, to help lighten your load. Report back to Tower One in January.”  
Hecate was speechless.  
  
“Wh… when?” she stammered after a few moments when she had gathered her wits enough to talk.  
“Pick a date. I don’t care, as long as it’s not later than the 25th. Kala Christougena, dearest friend.”  
  
He turned and left his office without waiting for more reply than her flabbergasted look of shock. Other employees caught him in the hallway.  
“Your Majesty, are you…. Are you absolutely sure?”  
  
“What makes you think that I’m not? You dare to doubt your king?” Hades summoned up his most commanding voice, yet his face betrayed him as he began to laugh.  
  
“Sire…” The confused employees looked at each other.  
  
“Changes of heart are funny things,” Hades chuckled, clapping one of the clerks on the back. “I am utterly serious. Get out of here! I don’t want to see anyone here working until Monday!”   
The workers jumped for joy, running down the hall with excitement.”  
  
Strolling down the hallway, Hades turned to his left and sauntered to the break room, retrieving a cup of black coffee, and a cappuccino. Holding the two beverages carefully, he headed out of the breakroom and onto a different wing of the building.  
  
Immediately, the scent of flowers hit him, and he inhaled deeply, smiling at the airy warmth that they held. He peeked into Persephone’s office, to see her busy at work, typing at her laptop.  
  
“Knock-knock,” he said softly.   
  
Persephone looked up from her computer, and blue forget-me-knots began to bloom at her temples.  
“Hi Hades,” she cooed.  
“Hey there, beautiful.”  
She blushed a deep crimson flush at the peaks of her cheeks. Closing her laptop, she stood to greet him. She was wearing a grey off-shoulder sweater, leggings, and fuzzy boots.  
“To what do I owe the pleasure of the CEO visiting my humble office space?”  
  
Hades cleared his throat. Persephone was looking at him with sincere appreciation. He wished he could kick himself for always refuting such tender acts of kindness from the spring goddess. Not to mention, the way that her lashes fluttered when she blinked made his heart skip a beat.   
  
He took a deep breath. “I … I’ve come to the realization that the way I have been living my life… for centuries… has been wrong. I’ve… I’ve missed out on quite a few things, and I know now where it was that I was wrong. And one of those was trying to push myself away from your kindness… and your beauty. I’m sorry for mistreating you.”  
“Oh…. Hades!” Tears welled in Persephone’s eyes, as Hades sat the warm drinks down at the edge of her desk.  
“You didn’t deserve any of that negativity, and… I would like to start over, if… if that’s okay with you?”  
Persephone giggled.  
“Why yes, that would be just fine.”  
  
Hades cleared his throat again. His heart was racing, but he extended his hand.  
  
“Hello there. My name is Hades Aidoneus. Plouton, God of the Dead, God of Wealth and King of the Underworld. I would love to take you to dinner, or… if it’s not so bold… make you dinner and get to know you better.”  
  
Persephone giggled as she took Hades’ hand in her own. Her touch was like electricity, immediately sparking a chain reaction inside of his body. Without a second thought, he took her hand and kissed the back of it delicately.  
  
Almost instantaneously, a huge crown of blue anemones sprouted, with great flourish and a FLOOM sound.  
“I…” she stammered, struggling to contain her excitement. “I… I would like it if you made dinner.”  
  
He smiled. Even embarrassed and nervous, she was adorable. “Is tonight too soon?”  
“No… not at all…” She seemed to be enchanted.  
“I look forward to spending time with you, Kore. If I may, could I give you my cell phone number? That way you can call me when you’re ready?”  
  
FLOOM! More anemones began to sprout from various corners of her office, dangling from the windows, furniture and more.  
  
“Oh… oh yes…” she breathed. He let go of her hand long enough to pencil his number down on a sticky note. Taking his coffee, Hades smiled.  
“Thank you, sweetness, for the opportunity to make things right. And thank you so much for the scarf. You would be surprised but… I don’t get gifts very often. It is very meaningful.”  
  
“Would you allow me to give you something else?” Persephone asked in a husky voice.  
“I think that I could permit that,” Hades joked, his irises showing a hazy, berry hue.   
  
Persephone then took his cup of coffee from his hand and set it on her desk. She then grabbed his necktie with vigor, and pulled him close to her, placing a wet kiss on his lips. She tasted like sugar, and his chest surged with energy as she pressed her body against him. He returned her kiss with fervor, clutching the curls of her short pixie cut as his hand grabbed her waist, pulling her body closer to his. Persephone wrapped her arms around his neck, nipping and nibbling at his lips with her own, swirling her tongue as it darted in and out of his mouth. She pulled back finally, with a look of desire on her face, breathless from the embrace as she caressed his cheek and touched his nose with her own.  
  
“Fucking fates,” Hades swore. “I haven’t received a…. ‘gift’ like that in at least one thousand years.”  
“I could give you more, if you’d like,” Persephone whispered, her lips still dusting his own.  
“Tonight then.” Hades let out a dirty growl. Persephone squealed and giggled once again, tracing the edge of his collar with her dainty pink finger.  
“Now go home, shade coordinator. I recall the CEO did dismiss the entire organization not too long ago. And I do have one last matter to attend to, before our meeting tonight.”  
“Our _date_ ,” she corrected him.   
“Then it’s a date,” Hades affirmed, beaming from ear to ear. He loosened his necktie and gently hung his new scarf around his neck. As the tassels fell towards his buttons, he noticed a small embellishment in the corner. It was black embroidery, made to look like that of a dog’s head, with a happy smile on its face.  
  
“Is that…. Is that Cerberus?” he asked.  
Persephone nodded, grinning excitedly.  
“That really is thoughtful, Persephone… I’ll be sure to show you my gratitude later.”  
“I look forward to it,” she replied, with a hint of lust in her voice.  
“Now get out of here. I will see you tonight, goddess of spring.”  
  
It took every bit of strength to tear himself away from the clutches of the fertility goddess, but there was one last mission he needed to accomplish.   
With a smile and wink for Persephone, he closed his eyes and teleported to the department store.  
  
He materialized in the middle of the sales floor, sending startled shoppers and sales staff scurrying. “Your Majesty!” a young nymph declared from behind a counter, once she had picked herself up off the floor.  
“Good Afternoon!” Hades greeted her warmly. “Would you be Grace?”   
“Ye- yes…” She pulled up an enormous wrapped bundle from behind the counter. “Here is your purchase! It would be one thousand drachmas for the expedited—”  
“I’ll pay that and more. Thank you for accommodating such a last-minute request.”  
Hades retrieved his checkbook once again and wrote a check to Grace personally, for ten thousand drachmas. She began to weep.  
Hades lifted the package and gave her a smile. “Kala Christougena, dear friend. Thank you again!”  
  
In an instant, he disappeared, with the oversized package in tow. He reappeared on the doorstep of Zeus and Hera’s mansion. Setting the fluffy item down, he rapped upon the door. There was more yelling inside, that ceased when the knock was heard.   
  
“I’ll get it!” Hebe called. “Who is it?” her tiny voice muffled from behind the door.  
  
“It’s … It’s Uncle Hades,” he replied. The memory of her sadness, sadness that he had caused, was sharp and caused a hitch in his voice.  
  
Hebe tore open the door. Her jaw dropped, and she immediately ran to her uncle, hugging him tightly around his legs.  
  
“Uncle!! Oh Mai Gosh, what are you doing here?!”  
“Well, darling niece, I came to see you, and to ask if you would like to spend some time with me in the underworld today. You said that you’ve never been before.”  
“MOM! DAD! UNCLE HADES IS HERE! CAN I GO WITH HIM!” Hebe was screaming back into the house from the top of her lungs, giddy with glee. Hades hoisted her up and held her in her arms. She clung to him as if she were a spider monkey, as he effortlessly carried her into the foyer and shut the door behind them.  
Hera came from around the corner. Her eyes were baggy, and she held a cigarette in hand. She was wearing wrinkled pajamas, and her hair was disheveled.  
“Yes… Aidon… what? What are you doing here?” Hera asked.  
  
“I wanted to spend time with my youngest niece,” he explained. “She called and asked me yesterday, so clearly this is very necessary.”  
Hebe beamed and snuggled into Hades chest even more.   
  
“Oh! Uncle! I have something for you!” Hebe let go of her clutch on Hades and he set her down. She bolted out of the room. Zeus had wandered in at that time, with a curious expression on his face.  
“Brother?” he called.  
“Hello, brother,” Hades said warmly.  
  
Hebe ran back into the foyer with a large piece of construction paper. On it were intricately drawn stick figures, with a large blue one holding the hands of a smaller yellow one. He felt a lump in his throat and choked back tears. She still drew them together even though he hurt her.  
  
“ _Oh Hebe_ ,” Hades whispered. “I will cherish this. When I get back home, I’ll be sure to put it on the door of my refrigerator, so that I see it every single day. Thank you, little love.”  
“You’re welcome!” she sang, jumping up and down with excitement.  
“Now now, niece. I also have something for you.”  
  
Hebe’s eyes were as large as saucers. “You got me a present?!”  
“I did, indeed. I’ll be right back.”  
  
Hades jogged through the foyer and opened the front door, to retrieve the large wrapped item for Hebe. It actually stood just an inch or two taller than she was.   
  
“OHMAIGOSH CAN I OPEN IT!? MOMCANIOPENIT!” Hebe was a ball of energy.  
  
Hera chuckled, sitting on the couch as Zeus stood behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
“Yes, daughter dearest, go ahead and open it.”   
  
Hebe shredded the wrapping paper in seconds, to reveal a gigantic teddy bear, yellow in color, with a large bow tied around its neck. Hebe hugged it with all of her might.  
  
“IT’S SO FLUFFY!” her little muffled voice sang from beneath the depths of the bear’s hug. “Thank you, Uncle Hades!”  
“You’re so welcome, dearest niece. Now, are you ready to go? Do you have a coat? It’s a little cold in the underworld right now.”  
“I’m ready! I’m ready! I’m ready! But… I … I don’t have a coat.”  
“Then stand up and hold out your arms, please,” Hades stated.  
  
Hebe did as she was told, standing perfectly still and extending her arms. Her green party dress and shiny shoes were covered in wisps of black magic, as Hades made grand gestures and movements with his hands, weaving and creating winter wear for his dearest niece. She giggled as she watched him move about, with flourish from every fingertip. Soon thereafter, Hebe was wearing a beautiful velvet winter coat, with white fur trim and two fuzzy white pom poms that dangled from the hood. Her tights became thick green pants, and her shiny shoes were covered with furry green boots.  
  
“Uncle! This is so beautiful!”  
“Hades… It looks remarkable,” Zeus spoke.  
“Aidon,” Hera agreed. “Thank you so much. Thank you for this.”  
“No thanks are necessary. If anything, I should thank you for giving me such a wonderful niece.  
Hebe ran to Hades again, clinging to his legs as she hugged him tightly.  
  
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he called over his shoulder.  
“Bye Mom! Bye Dad!” Hebe sang, holding Hades hand as they strolled to the door.  
“Have fun, darling!” Hera answered.  
Closing the door behind them, Hebe and Hades stood on the doorstep.  
  
“Uncle Hades, where’s your car?”  
“I thought that we could take the scenic route,” Hades replied.  
She tilted her head, confused. “But how will we get there?”  
  
Hades smiled and placed a finger and his thumb to his lips, blowing a low whistle. A few seconds passed, and there was a thunderous boom as a large black cloud gave way, and Cerberus descended from the sky, the ground reverberating as he landed. Standing in the driveway, he was in full thirty-foot hell hound form with three heads that had six pairs of glowing eyes, and smoke billowing from the three pairs of nostrils. That was, until he saw the tiny golden goddess standing next to Hades, holding his hand. Immediately, Cerberus trotted over to Hebe, shrinking to his great dane form, and walking right up to Hebe to lick her face. She booped him on the nose, and he let out his famous whuff.  
  
“He smells like a fireplace, Uncle Hades,” she whispered.  
“Well we know a thing or two about fire, young niece,” Hades joked. “Now, are you ready?”  
“Yes sir!” she squealed.   
Hades picked Hebe up in his arms.   
“Alright boy, let’s go home!”  
  
Cerberus barked, his tongue dangling and his tail wagging. He jumped up and down, and immediately transformed back into his hell hound form. Hades flew into the air, holding Hebe tightly, until he sat her right at the nape of one of Cerberus’ heads. Cerberus then leapt to the sky and disappeared above the clouds.  
Zeus and Hera watched warmly from a nearby window, smiling at one another. What joy it brought them, to see their youngest daughter so very happy once again.  
  
Hebe held her hands in the air, touching the clouds as Cerberus galloped along the wind current, speeding towards the underworld. She giggled, squealed, and shrieked with joy the entire way. Soon, the sun began to disappear as they crossed the border into the underworld. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and purple, and snowflakes were still falling softly on everything in sight.  
  
Cerberus landed in a park, and Hades picked Hebe up once again to set her down safely. Transforming, the pup frolicked in the powdery snow, galloping about happily and barking with glee.   
  
“Uncle… Is this… Is this snow?” Hebe asked carefully.  
“It surely is, niece,” Hades nodded.  
“It’s like icy sparkles!”   
  
Hebe took off running after Cerberus, stopping to scoop big handfuls of snow and throwing it in the air, twirling as it fell on top of her. Her laughter was pure happiness; Hades couldn’t remember the last time he heard a child laugh, but it warmed his heart to know that he helped to see it happen.   
  
“Now niece,” Hades said matter-of-factly. “Did you know that you can even make shapes in the snow?”  
She stopped, mid throw, and spun to face him, snow drifting down around her. “You can?! How!?”  
Hades extended his arms to either of his sides, and promptly fell backwards into a snow drift.  
  
Hebe hurried over, her eyes wide with concern. “Oh no, Uncle! Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m just fine, Hebe! Watch!”  
  
Hades moved his arms upwards towards his head, and his legs spreading outwards away from one another. He repeated the motion several times, moving his arms up and down, and his legs back and forth, until he floated into the air and turned around to survey his snow god.  
  
“Wow!!! I wanna try!!!” Hebe then fell, face first, into a snowbank. Hades guffawed, trying to stifle his laughter. She wiggled her little arms and legs in the same motion that Hades did, before climbing back to her feet.   
“Look Uncle! It’s a snow god! It has wings, just like my big nephew Eros!”  
“Well would you look at that,” Hades affirmed. “It does have wings, just like your big nephew Eros.”  
“Yep! I can’t wait to tell him that I got to see snow! This is the best Christougena ever!”  
  
“Really?” The idea that he of all beings could have given anyone the best Christougena ever… Hades swore to himself that he would continue this change in his life, but he hoped fervently he never lost this feeling of wonder.  
  
“It really is, Uncle. I love you so much!” Hebe threw her arms around his legs and hugged fiercely.  
A pang of tenderness pulled at Hades heart strings, and he knelt to hug her properly.  
“I love you, ανηψιά.”  
  
Cerberus had caught back up with Hebe, and she let go of Hades to nuzzle the good dog. Hades stood back to his feet, smiling as she giggled.  
“Gaia has really blessed us, hasn’t she?” Hebe told the great dane.  
  
Looking to the sky, Hades affirmed.  
“A Kala Christougena to all. Gaia’s blessed us… Everyone.”  
  
Atropos sat, curled up on the couch next to Lachesis, watching Hades and Hebe playing in the snow on their multitude of televisions stacked on top of one another.  
Clotho joined them, spreading a blanket across all three of them.  
“Now this is an ending that I can appreciate,” Clotho said.  
“I wouldn’t say it’s an ending,” Lachesis noted. “Looks like the beginning of something great. I mean, who knew the young blood had it in him?”  
“That reminds me,” Atropos mentioned, retrieving a cell phone. “I need to thank Hypnos and Morpheus for being such good sports.”  
“Yes, please do” Clotho affirmed, resting her head on her sister’s shoulder.   
“Son of Kronos, it is so pleasing to know that there is love in your heart after all,” Atropos remarked, with a warm smile upon her face.  
  


  
art courtesy of [Bunnimation Artings. ](https://www.facebook.com/bunnimation/)  
  
  


© daalex 2019

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
>  **Kala Christougena:** Merry Christmas!  
>  **Δίνω την απελευθέρωση της ψυχής σου:** I give the liberation of your soul.   
> **ανηψιά:** Niece
> 
> know that my holiday themed fics will always be an epic adventure. i actually didn't mean for this to be as dark as it was in some places, but canon LO has a lot of dark themes, so i stayed with it. could you identify who was who, based on the correlation to A Christmas Carol? there's a reason why certain fates represented the past, the present, and the future. 
> 
> fun secret-- there's a few dee-ism's in there.  
> "Let's Get This Bread," is all for my dripp, love you pink.
> 
> i told you it'd be all better in the end. you can still come for me if you want to, i don't mind. yell at me here or on discord, i'm ready for it.
> 
> thank you to my discord king, UnevenPrism/Scholarly Dragon, for many edits and suggestions to make this monster the monster that it was. seriously, the word count was 11,500 before he got his hands on it, and now it's 13,600. i appreciate you keeping this secret for as long as you did. my deepest gratitude to Queen Jessy of the TFH society for her beta read as well, and a giant thanks to Kyle of Bunnimation Artings for the wholesome AF Hades art to accompany the piece.  
> to my discord family, know that i love you and i hope you enjoyed. Kala Christougena to you and yours.


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